How long it takes to become aware of a stimulus. It is measured by when the participant signals they became aware. For example, it can be measured by taking the time between when a light goes on and a participant presses a button to indicate they saw it go on.

Simple reaction time

How long it takes someone to become aware of a stimulus and make a decision about the stimulus. It is measured by the time from when a stimulus is present until a participant has signaled their decision. For example, it can be measured by taking the time from when one (out of two) lights goes on and the participant indicates which light went on (making a decision).

Choice reaction time

There exists different measures to estimate reaction time. They include:
- simple reaction time
- choice reaction time

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

How long it takes to respond to a stimulus

Reaction time

Goldstein, E. B. (2014). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research and everyday experience. Nelson Education.


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